


The Sexless Innkeeper

by gemgirl28



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comforting Zuko, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Sex, Loosely inspired by HIMYM, One Shot, Toph is a bad influence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 08:47:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemgirl28/pseuds/gemgirl28
Summary: Katara keeps accidentally spending the night with Zuko. Or does she?VERY loosely inspired by the episode of How I Met Your Mother by the same name.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 132





	The Sexless Innkeeper

**Author's Note:**

> So I've decided to randomly post my completed works. Most are going to be shorter fics, but I do have some longer ones coming. ANYWAYS How I Met Your Mother is my favorite show of all time, and I'm pretty deeply obsessed with ATLA and zutara, so that's how this happened. Except Zuko isn't really Ted? And Katara definitely isn't Robin. So maybe don't project the characters of HIMYM too hard onto this? Except Sokka and Suki are DEFINITELY Lily and Marshall. I hope you enjoy this! I'm still getting a hang of writing/posting all this so any feedback is super welcomed!

The first time Katara spends the night in his bed is a happy accident.

(Or at least, that’s what Zuko tells himself.)

It was a perfect mixture of the right circumstances combined with impeccable timing. Zuko shared an apartment with Sokka and Suki that was just above the bar they always hung out at. Katara let herself fall victim to Toph’s encouragement of “Just one more shot!” one too many times. Sokka didn’t want his sister taking a cab back to her apartment at two in the morning.

So when Katara had turned in the booth to face Zuko, haphazardly slinging her arm around his shoulder, and asked, “Can I crash with you tonight?” he had no reason to turn her down.

At least, not one he could think of with her pressed against him.

He was certain she meant the couch. She had passed out on their couch countless times before. So he was surprised when they got up to his apartment and she followed him into his bedroom.

Zuko coughed, trying to hide his nervousness, as a blush rose onto his cheeks. “Uhm, Katara? What are you…?” he let himself trail off, not sure how to ask his _best friend’s little sister_ and other _best friend’s ex-girlfriend_ what she was doing in his bedroom.

She had rolled her eyes and kicked off her shoes before pulling back the covers and climbing into bed. “I just want to cuddle. Is that ok?”

Zuko managed to squeak out a noise that sounded affirmative before running to the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. He had hoped she would have passed out by the time he returned, so he wouldn’t have to figure out what the hell was going on, but of course she was still wide awake when he tiptoed back in.

He threw his clothes in his hamper before coming to the other side of the bed. Katara rolled on her side to face him, reaching out for him with one hand.

“C’mon, are you going to stand there all night or are you going to come be my little spoon?” she asked, her teasing tone slurring from all the shots Toph bought. Zuko shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other.

“Are you sure? I mean, what are we doing here? Do you want me to crash on the couch?” he asked, hoping to clear up the lines of consent for when Sokka interrogated him the next day. Katara glared at him and reached over to yank him down into bed with her. He crashed onto the bed with a yelp.

“All I want is to cuddle and I really don’t have the brain power to think about anything else so are we doing this or not?”

Zuko stared at her for another moment before letting himself give in. “Fine, but I call big spoon. Roll over.”

Katara rolled her eyes again but complied as he nestled under the covers and pulled her close to him.

It was the best night’s sleep he’d had in years.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The next time Katara sleeps in his bed is another happy accident.

(Or maybe Zuko is just pretending he can lie to himself after all.)

The circumstances aren’t quite the same this time. Sure, Katara had a bit too much to drink, but not enough to be considered “too drunk to go home.” It’s just past midnight, and Aang’s with them tonight, so she wouldn’t have to take a cab alone if she didn’t want to.

But Katara lost a patient today, and everyone knows she’s taking it pretty hard. So this time, when Katara whispers in his ear, “Can we cuddle tonight?” and he sees the tears fighting to escape her eyes he says yes, of course, and lets her lead him to the apartment. Toph shoots him an evil “I know more than I’m letting on” grin, Aang shoots him a hurt “what’s going on here?” face, and Sokka shoots him a “you better not hurt my sister” glare but he ignores them all and follows Katara upstairs.

This time Katara is sitting on top of the covers when he finishes getting ready for bed. She looks up at him nervously as he tosses his dirty clothes across the room.

“Can I borrow something to sleep in? I don’t really want to sleep in my jeans…” she trailed off, her hands fidgeting in her lap. He merely nodded and found her an old t shirt and basketball shorts.

She mutely accepted his clothes and made her way to the bathroom to change. When she returns, Zuko is under the covers but sitting up, still feeling equal parts nervous about the predicament he has found himself in and guilty for enjoying it.

Katara sets her clothes on the chair in the corner and slides into bed next to him. He turns off the lamp before reaching out for Katara to draw her to his chest. When he realizes her shoulders are shaking from crying, he sits back up, pulling her with him.

“Shhh, its ok, I’ve got you, sshhhh,” he repeats into her hair, stroking her back and holding her close. He’s sure her snot is all over his shirt but he doesn’t care because all he can think is _Katara is crying_ and _how can I fix this?_

Eventually her sobs subside and she draws back a little, sniffling as she wipes her face dry. “I’m sorry, Zuko, I didn’t mean to be such a downer tonight.”

He shakes his head, wiping a stray tear from her face. “It’s ok, I just want to make sure you’re ok. Do you want to talk about it?”

She bites her lip again and grabs his hand. “Actually, I’d really like it if you were big spoon again, if that’s ok?”

He smiles, nodding as he’s already adjusting, sliding an arm under shoulder and wrapping the other over her waist to draw her close. He waits till her breathing steadies into a sleepy pattern before he lets himself fall asleep as well.

He thinks he could get used to falling asleep with Katara in his arms.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

By the third time Katara spends the night in his bed in three weeks, he realizes maybe the other times weren’t such happy accidents.

(But that’s only because she tells him so, after they’ve had sex three times.)

The night had started like any other Friday night, with everyone at the bar. But Sokka and Suki had dinner reservations for their early anniversary celebration, and Aang had a race the next day, and Toph was riding with Aang, so by 8 o’clock it’s just him and Katara splitting a pitcher at their usual booth.

It’s awkward for the first few minutes, and he realizes that outside of the cuddling they’ve been doing, this is the first time he and Katara have hung out alone since she broke up with Aang eight months ago. When he points this out, she tilts her head to the side, thinking it over, before going, “Huh, I guess you’re right. Want to head upstairs?”

He’s sure she means to play video games or watch Netflix or literally anything so he’s shocked when she’s pull him into his bedroom, closes the door behind him, and pushes him against the door before locking her lips on his.

He’s frozen for a few moments, and she mistakes his lack of reaction for rejection. “I’m sorry-” she starts, but he cuts her off with a kiss, turning her around to pin her against the door. “Don’t be sorry,” he manages to breathe out before their lips reconnect and they end up in his bed before his brain can really catch up to the fact that _holy shit he’s about to have sex with Katara and-_

He asks her if she’s sure, if this is what she wants, if she wants him, and each time she moans yes, yes, _yes_ before they finally connect and he’s in love with her, he’s always been in love with her, and he can only hope she’ll let him do this again.

She does, twice more, before they collapse under the sheets, exhausted but not ready to sleep. They cuddle, him running his hand up and down her arm and her tracing lazy circles on his chest. He realizes her shoulders are shaking again, but this time from laughter. “What’s so funny?” he asks, panic creeping into his voice.

She takes a breath to calm herself down before speaking. “If I had known it would be that easy to seduce you, I wouldn’t have let Toph get me so shitty two weeks ago.”

He stiffens, his hand freezing in its path on her arm. “Did you… are you…” he can’t string the words together to ask the question fighting to burst from his lips.

She lets out a little chuckle. “I thought I was being obvious for the past few months, but when you didn’t pick up on my flirting, I decided to take a more, ahem, hands on approach,” and she’s blushing furiously as she speaks, despite the fact that they just had sex three times.

Zuko stares at her mutely, the pieces finally starting to come together. “You’ve been sleeping… with me… because you…want to?”

She laughs openly again, throwing her head back a little. “Spirits Zuko! Yes! I chickened out because I was too drunk two weeks ago and then last week I was going to try again but then my patient died, so I figured I could aim for sympathy sex which clearly didn’t work out and tonight I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

“But why?!”

Katara quiets, slowly bringing her hand to his scarred cheek. She meets his gaze, and for a moment he gets lost in her too blue eyes, before-

“I’m in love with you, Zuko.”

He blinks, his brain trying to catch up with what she’s just said. “You…”

“I love you. I’ve been in love with you since we met. I think I repressed my feelings for you when I was with Aang, but once that was over they all came rushing back and I just couldn’t keep it in anymore. I love you.”

After a moment too long she drops her head to her chest. “I mean, I understand if you don’t feel the same,” she whispers, “if you thought this was just sex-”

But he cuts her off with another kiss, a slow, passionate kiss that he pours all his feelings into and then because he still can’t express it enough he pulls back. “I love you too, Katara.”

The smile she gives him in return makes him feel weak, and it isn’t long before they’re connected again, this time slower, taking their time to show the other how much they love them.

He falls asleep thinking of all the things he needs to do to make sure he never loses Katara.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning he stumbles into the kitchen to get coffee for both of them. Suki’s already got a pot of coffee made, and he murmurs a thanks as he pours two cups. He catches her raised brow but pointedly ignores her, moving to grab the cream from the fridge. He can’t ignore her when she speaks up though.

“So it sounded like you and Katara finally got your shit together last night,” she drawls almost lazily. He turns and faces her.

“You knew,” Suki smirks at his statement, “Of course you knew. And Toph too, right?”

She sips her coffee before replying. “I’m pretty sure you two were the only ones oblivious about your feelings for each other.”

He blushes and grabs the sugar.

“Don’t be ashamed, lover boy, I’m relieved you guys finally told each other. Although, for future reference, you might want to warn Sokka the next time you plan on having his _baby sister_ over. I ask for my sake as much as his.”

Suki slaps him on the back, laughing at his embarrassment as she heads to her and Sokka’s room. He contemplates what it would take for him to get his own place.

If he has it his way, he’ll never sleep alone again.

**Author's Note:**

> I love and appreciate any and all feedback!
> 
> Also come say hi on tumblr @gemgirl28


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